SEOUL– The South Korean period thriller “The Night Owl” has surpassed 3 million admissions in local theaters, its distributor said Friday.

The movie hit the milestone, a month after its release on Nov. 23 and two weeks after passing its break-even point of 2.1 million admissions, NEW said.

The thriller starring Ryu Jun-yeol and Yoo Hae-jin had stayed atop local box office charts for three consecutive weeks before the arrival of big-budget films “Hero” and “Avatar: The Way of Water.”

“The Night Owl” had been at No. 3 on the daily chart after the Avatar sequel and “Hero” as of Thursday.

Set in the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), the film tells the story of a day-blind acupuncturist who happens to witness the death of the crown prince and struggles to unearth the truth behind the death.

It is the directorial debut of Ahn Tae-jin, who worked with director Lee Joon-ik for his 2005 hit period film “The King and the Clown.”

Source: Yonhap News Agency